Flexible tire-frame.



No. 879,509. PATENTED FEB. 18, 1909. E. n. 0. BAYNE 9 L. A. SUBERS.

FLEXIBLE TIRE FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19. 1907.

JTi/arney it appertains to make and use the same.

'- which is a portion of the machine. The de- Q {'canite or slmllar hardsubstances havmg UNITED, S ATES i ArEvror roE.

EUGENE i). c. BAYNE AND LAwREXcE A. 'sUBERs, oFcLEVELA -i), o Io.

To all whom it may concern: 4

Be it known .that we, EUGENE D. C. BAYNE andv LAWRENCE A. SUBERs,citizens of the United. States, and residents of Cleveland, county ofCuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Flexible Tire-Frames, of

which we hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which Theobjects of the invention are to obtain a highly polished circular frameof flexible material upon. which a tire can be wound comprisinginsulated threads arranged in alternating transversely and circumferen-'tially disposed layers therein. A further object is to provide a framesformed in one integral piece, and not formed of separable ortionsdesigned to be secured together whil afterward taken apart to facilitateremoving the tire such as is shown and described in .our applicationfor. Letters Patent of the United States, Ser. No. 344,094, filedNovemher 19th, 1906, connection with an automatic machine for windingtires. The frame described thereinis strictly collapsible and composedof several separable portions, and is secured upon an expansible wheelrim 'vice described herein is of a wholly different order ofconstruction, and is'adapted to take "the place in said machine of thecollapsible :frame employed therein and can be directly placed upon andsecured to the expansible wheel rim, and is adapted for use in reciselythe same manner as the collapsib e frame therein described. The framecomprises an integral annular tube of highly polished vul Some degree offlexibility, and parted at one side to permit of separation of its ends.

e the tire is wound thereon and.

specificationuof Letters Patent. Applicationfiled February 19. 1907.Serial No. 358.181.

FLEXIBLE rrnn rnm.

mant rb. s, 1908'.

as hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings andspecifically pointed.

out in'the claims. H v I In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is anelevation of the improved form of frame showing the line of separationof the extremities and the expansible wheel rim on which it is secured;Fig. 2 is a central transverse section thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view ofaportion thereof showing the meeting extremities; Fig. 4 is a sideelevation of the same slightly enlarged:

In these views 1 is the highly polished annular frame nearly tubular andprovided with an annular laterally extending rim 2 on either. side ofthe central opening 3 on the inner edge. The conformation of the frameis such that a tire such as described in an accompanying applicationSerial No. 344,093 can readily be wound thereon.

A line of parting or division is shown at 4, in one side of the annularframe, which divides this side so that the closely fitting extremities 5and 6 can be separated from each other so that the frame can bewithdrawn from the completed tire. This action can be accomplished bybending one of the extremities as 6, so that it will pass underneath theother in a substantially involute form' as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. To facilitate this action and to permit the extremities toseparate readily the parting surfaces are not on a radial plane but areon an inclined arc the axis being taken at approximately a quarter ofthe circle distant from the surfaces of separation, so that the innerextremity will readily slide upon the outer extremity. The circle of theframe can then be reduced in diameter until it can be removed from thetire. If desired, however, as soon as one of the extremities 1s withjdrawn by this sliding-movement from the tire the extremities can beseparated lateri The invention also comprises devices for interlockingthe engaging surfaces of the- I, 'QPPOSGd extremities so as to bring theexgtremities into perfect alinement with each tire by merely revolvingit. The eXtremigather and maintain a perfectly smooth and continuousouter surface when the extremisojties are umted.

The invention comprises further means for ,securmg the frame to itssupport, and con- .parts and construction of the various details allyuntil the frame can be screwed out of the ties are locked together so asto secure them 1n perfect almement by means of the hooks 7 on the H1118!margin or run 2 of one extremity as 6, and corresponding recesses 8 1nthe other extremity. At the outer or tread surface a similar lockinghook 9 is shown in one extremity and a corresponding 1n the combinationand arrangement of I ,shoulders interlock on the outward moveframe ismounted upon an expansible wheel ment of the partsbut separate readilywhen the, part 6 is bent downward. Tongues 11, 11 in one part enterrecesses 12, 12 in the other part to prevent one part from slippingsidewise upon the other. This annular rim 13, by means of which it isrotated, and keys 14 inserted in the inner edges of the 5 frame centerit and prevent it from slipping laterally thereon, but do not preventwithdrawing it from the other side.

In practice the tire is wound upon the frame while upon the wheel rim,and when 5 the frame is removed therefrom, the frame is contracted orbent to remove the tire.

Having described our invention what- -we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tire frame comprising an annular flexible tube having overlappingextremities, a rotatable support therefor, and means for alining saidframe upon said support, comprising keys inserted in the inner edge ofthe frame and behring against the edge of said support, substantially asdescribed.

2. A flexible. ring shaped tire frame, of horse-shoe shaped crosssection and provided with laterally extending flanges 2 on its inneredges, and transversely parted at i one side with an inclined and curvedparting line, integral hooks 7 upon one set of meeting edges of saidflanges, and corresponding recesses 8 upon the opposed extremities atthe tread surface thereof and a corresponding recess 10 in the otherextremity and tongues 11, 11 in one extremity andrecesses 12, 12

in the other extremity, registering therewith, substantially asdescribed.

In testlmony whereof we hereunto set. our

hands this 16th day of February, 1907, at

Cleveland, Ohio.

EUGENE D. C. BAYNE. LAWRENCE A. SIIBERS. In presence of A. T. OSBORN, Z.B. Saw-YER.

